


When our lights meet (Will you know me then?)

by aconite (aconite_fic)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Angst, Gen, Public Transportation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-25
Updated: 2013-09-25
Packaged: 2017-12-27 05:40:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/975087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aconite_fic/pseuds/aconite
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A strange man on the bus insists on telling Arthur even stranger stories. Somewhere along the way, Arthur starts to listen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	When our lights meet (Will you know me then?)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alby_mangroves](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alby_mangroves/gifts).
  * Translation into Español available: [When our lights meet (Will you know me then?)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3327806) by [Aisjustrunning](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aisjustrunning/pseuds/Aisjustrunning)



> A MAHSSIVE thank you to Jinx for the beta and wonderful feedback. ♥ Also to Curly for always dealing with me after I'd written for bloody hours, never leave me.
> 
> This fic is also a belated birthday present for Alby_Mangroves, a wonderful artist and a great inspiration. <3
> 
> Title inspired by Evans Blue's Eclipsed.

“Is this seat taken?” A hoarse voice announced itself next to Arthur.

 

Arthur looked up from his phone, studying the elderly man towering over him. His hand was outstretched, pointing to the seat beside Arthur’s. The fabric on his sleeve was starting to unravel at the seams, and the rest of his clothing didn’t look much better, either. Arthur tried to keep his face from scrunching up in distaste, because if he had to describe the man, he’d say he looked… homeless. He probably smelled, too, although no unpleasant scent had graced Arthur’s nostrils yet. He stomped on the tiny bit of guilt shimmering in his belly before he answered, “Yes.”

 

The man scoffed. He stood there for two seconds before sitting down, despite Arthur’s rejection.

 

Arthur glared. The man glared right back.

 

Although, it wasn’t quite a glare. There was no hostility in the man’s gaze, no reprimand of Arthur’s rudeness. He looked amused. Arthur scowled at him.

 

“Do you believe in magic?” The man asked without preamble. Arthur felt his scowl deepen.

 

“No,” he answered without even thinking about it. The greatest fights he’d had with his sister when they were children were on exactly the same topic, Morgana insisting that magic was real and Arthur waving it off as nonsense, too much his father’s son to believe in something that he hadn’t seen with his own eyes.

 

“Then you’re a fool,” the man said simply. Arthur regarded him for a second, wondering if he should let a stranger insult him, but a look around stopped his protests. Another passenger – a bloke with shaggy hair and a charming smile – that Arthur had seen on this bus frequently was wearing a knowing smirk, and Arthur assumed the man before him was just the local mental case and everyone let him get away with his antics. He seemed harmless enough.

 

“Sure, whatever you say,” Arthur replied finally and continued scrolling down his phone.

 

The man didn’t speak for the rest of the ride, much to Arthur’s relief.

 

**~**

 

The second time the man chose Arthur’s company over the empty seats all over the bus, it had been raining.

 

It was still raining, actually – Arthur wiped some of the condensation with his hand to make sure that it was indeed still pouring outside. And yet, the man’s (still ratty) coat was completely dry, and there was not a splotch of mud on his boots. Arthur frowned. He knew that already, but something about his boots in particular told Arthur that the man was very, very old.

 

“What are you thinking about?” The man asked. Arthur startled, forgetting for a second the raspy quality of the man’s voice, and his eyes snapped up.

 

“How old are you?” He blurted out. He felt ridiculous for even talking to this person.

 

“Older than you can imagine,” the man replied with what Arthur only guessed was a smile. He couldn’t tell what was hiding beneath that beard of his.

 

“Sure,” Arthur said, nodding his head indulgently.

 

“You’re still older than me,” the man said, his eyes crinkling. Arthur raised his eyebrows.

 

“Am I?”

 

“Yes,” he replied shortly. “And still more foolish.”

 

“It amuses you to offend random strangers on the bus, doesn’t it?”

 

“No, no random strangers. Just you.”

 

Arthur’s jaw dropped a little as he was thinking of a retort, wondering if he should feel threatened. He looked to his left again and saw that Shaggy Hair had his lips pressed together, trying to suppress a smile. Arthur shook his head before he wiped more of the window, looking out instead at the man beside him.

 

**~**

 

“Name’s Dragoon,” the man announced as he settled at his usual spot next to Arthur.

 

He didn’t get on the bus every day, but whenever he did, he always sat there. Arthur never chose another seat, either, ‘cause – even if he’d never admit it – this was his Lucky Seat. Nothing ever went wrong at work if he’d sat here on his way.

 

He looked at the man questioningly. The man pointed at himself.

 

“I’m sure you’ve been wondering,” he rasped out.

 

“Sure,” Arthur said, and it seemed that that was his reply to anything that came out of the man’s – Dragoon’s – mouth. This time, though, it was more of a confirmation than the usual indulgence – he had been wondering. The man was too peculiar not to wonder about him.

 

Arthur didn’t introduce himself in return, but it seemed like Dragoon didn’t even want him to.

 

“Are you some sort of descendant from men who dealt with dragons, then?” Arthur asked, sarcasm heavy in this tone. Dragoon narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“Don’t tell me you don’t believe in dragons.”

 

Arthur shrugged.

 

“I’d reckon not believing in magic implies that I don’t believe in dragons and other mythical rubbish, either.”

 

“ _Rubbish?_ ” Dragoon sounded scandalized. Arthur bit back a smile. “You don’t think dragons roamed these lands? Dragons and wyverns, griffins, goblins… Also…”

 

“Unicorns?” Arthur suggested jokingly.

 

“Unicorns, yes!” Dragoon shrieked excitedly. Arthur pressed his lips together and shook his head.

 

“Sorry, mate. None of them are real.”

 

“Well, not anymore,” Dragoon grumbled. “But they were. I’ve seen them with my own eyes.”

 

“Have you, now,” Arthur said skeptically. Dragoon nodded. “So this is where the ‘older than you can imagine’ part comes in. Thousands of years then, yeah?”

 

Dragoon didn’t reply. There was something incredibly sad in his expression that pulled on something in Arthur’s chest.

 

“Tell me about them,” Arthur said before he could stop himself. He was relieved to see Dragoon’s small smile.

 

“I believe this is where you get off,” he said. Arthur scowled for a second before he realized that, indeed, the bus was pulling to a stop. At his stop. With a quiet curse he shot up and made for the door, looking back at Dragoon before stepping out.

 

“Tomorrow,” Dragoon promised. Arthur nodded.

 

**~**

 

And Dragoon told him. Day by day, he told him of dragons and fairies, magical snakes and giant spiders, noble knights and girls that turned into beasts. He kept mentioning a king as well, a king brave and wonderful, but a complete _dollophead_ as well.

 

“Why did you stick around him, then?” Arthur asked once, feeling like he needed to know. “Why didn’t you leave?”

 

Dragoon eyed him for a moment.

 

“He was my friend,” he answered softly, but Arthur thought he heard his voice break a little. “He needed me almost as much as I needed him.”

 

Arthur thought he heard a choking noise from somewhere behind him. He looked around and everyone averted their gazes. Through the rides in the past couple of weeks he’d been so engulfed in Dragoon’s words that he just now realized that he wasn’t the only one listening. Dragoon had a whole bus worth of an audience.

 

Shaggy Hair was looking down, his eyebrows pinched together.

 

Arthur’s eyes barely skated over Dragoon’s face before he looked out the window, afraid of the tears he might see in those old, blue eyes. With great relief he realized it was time to get off, so he got up.

 

He smiled back at Dragoon. Dragoon waved.

 

**~**

 

“Where do you even go every day?” Arthur asked on a Friday.

 

“Nowhere in particular,” Dragoon replied. Arthur looked at him questioningly. “I like riding the bus. There’s people to meet. Stories to tell. Stories to be heard.”

 

Arthur wanted to ask why he didn’t choose anyone else to tell those stories to, but it seemed rude. He shook his head, thinking that just a month ago, he didn’t care if he was being rude to the man.

 

“You deserve to know, Arthur.”

 

He couldn’t think of a reply. He couldn’t think of a time when he’d said his name to the man, either. He must have dropped it somewhere along the line.

 

For the first time that day, Dragoon got off the bus before Arthur did. He didn’t even look back.

 

**~**

 

He wasn’t there Monday morning.

 

A girl with a sweet smile and pretty hair sat down next to Arthur once the bus took off from Dragoon’s stop, the man nowhere in sight.

 

“I’m Sefa,” she said without preamble, reaching her hand for Arthur to shake.

 

“Arthur,” he replied, squeezing her hand. She nodded as if she already knew that, and she probably did – Arthur thought he’d seen her before and it wouldn’t surprise him if she was one of the people listening in on Dragoon’s stories.

 

“I wanted to ask you… about Dragoon.” A few heads turned towards them as she said the name, eyeing Arthur curiously. He shifted in his seat, oddly uncomfortable at the attention.

 

“What about him?” He asked.

 

“Aren’t you… scared of him?”

 

Arthur raised his eyebrows. “Should I be?”

 

A few heads turned to Sefa, some gazes accusing, some curious. Shaggy Hair narrowed his eyes at her. Arthur was surprised at his reaction, but he was glad that he wasn’t alone in feeling defensive towards Dragoon.

 

Sefa blushed as she leaned back in her seat, shaking her head.

 

“I don’t know, and I’m definitely not saying you should. I’m honestly just curious. I mean, the way he speaks is so weird, and he seems to know so much about you…”

 

“Thanks to him, _you_ ” he emphasized, making it clear that he didn’t mean just Sefa but everyone who was listening, “know about me, as well. Should I be scared of you?”

 

Sefa shook her head again.

 

Another girl approached them. Arthur thought she was one of Sefa’s friends, but he couldn’t be sure.

 

“He’s been around here forever,” she said quietly. “And he sometimes rode the bus, but not as frequently until you came around. And he never spoke to anyone.”

 

“Never?” Arthur was surprised. “But he said—”

 

“Never,” Sefa confirmed. “He’s only shared those stories with you. He probably thought no one else would tolerate him.”

 

“Why Arthur, then?” A woman chimed in from the side. Arthur turned to her, annoyed that everyone seemed to be on first name basis with him, but his annoyance dissipated as soon as he realized he knew her, as well as her friend. Gwen was one of his neighbours, the daughter of the man who ran the little bookshop that seemed to have been round the corner since forever. Although they’d never really gotten to know each other properly, she’d always been there – lovely and kind, her presence enough was sure to brighten up the darkest of days. She was smiling at him now, head tilted to the side. Elena – her bubbly, clumsy in a horribly adorable way best friend - was just staring at him, an equally bemused expression on her face. Arthur shrugged.

 

“I think he thinks he’s Merlin,” a man chimed in.

 

“Is his king Arthur, then?” Another one asked. There were a few snickers as Arthur looked down.

 

“I think he’s just lonely,” Elena said quietly. No one laughed.

 

Arthur got off the bus. Shaggy Hair sent him a sad look.

**~**

 

“You’ve got a Facebook fan page,” Arthur said the next time Dragoon sat with him. It was the first time he’d initiated the conversation, and he only did it because he was feeling something akin to relief at the sight of him. He was glad Dragoon hadn’t left them, left _him_.

 

He didn’t mention that it was _them_ , Dragoon and Arthur, which had a fan page. Someone on the bus had apparently decided they went together. And, apparently, the twenty-something people that had liked the page agreed.

 

“What’s Facebook?” Dragoon asked. Arthur chuckled and shook his head. Someone else laughed quietly, as well.

 

“Don’t you have a computer?” A girl asked from the side, pushing away Sefa who had elbowed her in the ribs for speaking up.

 

“I don’t have much,” Dragoon answered. He didn’t sound pitiful, but the girl looked down nonetheless, embarrassed by her tactlessness. Dragoon looked back at Arthur, smiling expectantly for a minute before Arthur remembered he’d asked him a question.

 

“It doesn’t really matter what Facebook is. What matters is that people appreciate you.”

 

“Or they think I’m a nutter,” Dragoon replied. Again, he didn’t sound like he minded. Arthur felt the need to defend him, even against Dragoon himself.

 

“I don’t think they do.”

 

Dragoon shrugged.

 

“I won’t be here much longer, anyway.”

 

Arthur felt something akin to panic run through him at the sudden statement. What did Dragoon mean? Was he going away?

 

Was he… ill?

 

Arthur wanted to ask but it was time for him to get off. _Damn it._

 

“Go, Arthur.” Dragoon said, looking away from him, before Arthur could even consider missing his stop, his job be damned. He nodded, even if Dragoon couldn’t see him. As he got up, he looked around with pleading eyes, hoping someone would take his place and speak to Dragoon.

 

Shaggy Hair wasn’t on the bus. Arthur felt like his only ally had betrayed him. 

 

“Bye,” he said as he looked back. He’d never even uttered a vocal goodbye, not a ‘see you’ or a ‘have a nice day,’ nothing. He’d always just nodded, smiled, waved. But he felt like he needed to say it now.

 

Dragoon turned to him.

 

“Goodbye, Arthur.”

 

Arthur felt his heart break a little.

 

**~**

 

“Have you heard from him?” Sefa asked him three days later. People turned to them again.

 

Arthur shrugged. “How could I?”

 

“He’s gone,” she said sadly. Arthur knew she’d seen him in the area before, not just the bus. And now he’d disappeared. Arthur nodded at her slowly.

 

Everyone looked down. Arthur felt his chest tighten at the knowledge that he wasn’t the only one missing the old man.

 

“He’s fine,” a voice rang through the silence. Arthur looked up.

 

Shaggy Hair.

 

“How do you know?” Sefa asked him, but he didn’t reply. He was looking at Arthur and Arthur felt strangely reassured by the man’s gaze.

 

“I just do.”

 

“Is he alright?” Gwen asked, seeming to trust the man as Arthur did. “Does he need help?”

 

“He’ll be fine,” Shaggy Hair replied. “I just don’t think we’ll be seeing him here again.”

 

“We didn’t even say goodbye,” Sefa’s friend – Eira, Arthur remembered – said.

 

“You never said hello,” Sefa retorted.

 

Arthur wondered how many people on the bus regretted that.

 

As he was about to get off, he looked at Shaggy Hair.

 

“What’s your name?”

 

“Leon.”

 

“Thank you, Leon,” he said earnestly. Leon nodded. “Will you…” _Look after him? Tell us if there’s something we can do?_ He couldn’t get the words out.

 

“I will,” Leon said. He seemed to understand. Arthur nodded as the doors opened.

 

**~**

 

It was a couple of weeks later when a dark-haired man got in at Dragoon’s stop. He looked around, smiling a little as he nodded at Leon. Leon nodded in kind, though there was something in his expression Arthur couldn’t quite make out.

 

The man looked around again, noticing the empty seat – Dragoon’s seat – and making his way to it under the collective judging gaze. Some of the people who regularly took the bus were standing up, even after seeing the empty spot. They’d all felt like they couldn’t fill it after Dragoon.

 

The man didn’t seem to have noticed the negative attention he was getting and sat down calmly, giving Arthur a polite smile and a small nod before looking out the window.

 

Arthur stared. He couldn’t help himself; there was something too familiar about the man’s eyes and the way the corner of his lips was curled up in half a smirk.

 

After a while, the man noticed him looking. He looked right back, raising an eyebrow, but Arthur didn’t back off from the staring match.

 

“Do I know you?” The man asked finally. He was biting on his lips, as if he were trying not to smile.

 

“I’m Arthur,” Arthur said, reaching for a handshake.

 

“So I don’t know you,” he replied. Arthur looked at him, unimpressed. After a few long seconds the man’s eyes crinkled, his grin so wide that it made something ache deep inside of Arthur.

 

“I’m Merlin,” he said, his hand warm in Arthur’s. Arthur heard a small gasp behind him and gritted his teeth together. He didn’t find it necessary to turn around and see who it was, ninety percent sure that he recognized Sefa and her friends’ urgent whispers. Arthur and Merlin both held on a little longer that was appropriate, probably, but it only seemed right not to let go right away. Or ever. Arthur swallowed difficultly, uneasy with the sudden, indescribable feeling that’d overcome him in the short minutes he’d been in Merlin’s presence.

 

“Are you sure we haven’t met before?” Arthur asked. Merlin bit his lip again, but his smile was gone. He wanted to say something, but he couldn’t. “Does your grandfather live around here?”

 

Merlin leaned back in his seat, looking out the window. “No,” came the short reply. Something in his body language didn’t let Arthur bother him for the rest of the short ride, so he busied himself with his phone until his stop came. When he rose to his feet, he looked down at Merlin, who turned to him and nodded with a sad little smile. Arthur opened his mouth to say something, but thought better of it and nodded in kind before turning around and walking off the bus.

 

**~**

 

The next time he got on, Merlin sat next to Leon.

 

Arthur kept shooting them subtle glances, but he never caught them talking. At one point he thought he heard Leon whisper, “You can’t go back now,” but he couldn’t be sure.

 

**~**

 

Merlin kept sitting next to Leon and Arthur kept trying not to feel disappointed.

 

He wondered when exactly his short bus rides had become more exciting and unnerving than his job.

**~**

 

On a Monday morning, Gwen was sitting next to Leon.

 

“Where’s Elena?” Arthur blurted out.

 

“She’s sick,” Gwen answered. “And good morning to you, too.”

 

“Right, sorry. Good morning, Guinevere,” he greeted with a bow of his head before he sat down. She giggled behind him.

 

“Is Elena alright, though?” Sefa asked. Arthur looked around. He never realized how close the people on the bus had become. They were standing that much closer to each other, they talked more, they laughed a lot. They cared about each other. Was it all thanks to Dragoon? Arthur supposed it was. He wished he could let him know. Dragoon would be happy about that.

 

“Yeah, she’s fine, it’s just a cold. She needs rest, but she wasn’t easily convinced,” Gwen said with a sigh. “I had to wrestle her back into bed.”

 

“Now that would be a sight to see,” a bloke chimed in with a smirk aimed at Gwen. “Name’s Gawain, by the way. Everyone here seems to know each other, so I thought I’d introduce myself.”

 

“Nice to know the name of the guy who’d be harassing the passengers,” Leon deadpanned. Gawain threw his hands up defensively.

 

“No harassing, mate. Just working my charm.”

 

“Not that Kilgharrah would let you, anyway. Isn’t that right, Kil?” Leon raised his voice. Arthur wondered for a second who Kil was before the driver’s voice boomed through the bus.

 

“Won’t even pull to a stop before I open the doors for you to throw him out.”

 

Laughter rang. Even Gawain chuckled a bit.

 

“Point taken. But I mean it. I would never.”

 

“Good,” Leon said.

 

Arthur’s stop was next. He got up and stood by the door.

 

“Have a nice day, Arthur!” Gwen wished him. He heard a few more voices chiming in and grinned.

 

“Same to you lot,” he replied and waved.

 

“Oh, so that’s Arthur,” he heard Gawain say before the doors closed behind him. Arthur took a deep breath and started walking.

 

**~**

 

It was a week later that Merlin rode their bus again.

 

Ha. Their bus. Arthur smiled to himself.

 

Gwen was always sitting next to Leon, now. As soon as Elena returned (to everyone’s joy) she sat with Gawain. Arthur kept sending him warning looks, but Gawain seemed to behave for now.

 

“What are you smiling about?” Merlin asked as he sat down next to Arthur. Arthur raised his eyebrows.

 

“Am I not allowed to smile?”

 

“Of course you are. I just didn’t know you’re capable of it. You always looked like you’ve got this huge stick stuck up your arse.”

 

Everyone got really quiet.

 

“He’s right, though,” Eira remarked. Sefa hid her eyes behind her hand; she’d long ago given up on poking Eira whenever she made an inappropriate comment. “What?” Eira asked indignantly. “It’s true! You never smiled before Dragoon.”

 

Arthur stomped on the indignation rising in him and measured the mood of the people around him instead. He was afraid that mentioning the old man would bring everyone down; they never talked about him, after all. But everyone seemed fond of the memories rather than sad. Arthur looked at Merlin, expecting questions, but he didn’t seem puzzled.

 

“You knew Dragoon?” Arthur asked him.

 

“Who doesn’t?” Merlin asked quietly in return.

 

“Have you seen him?” Sefa asked hopefully.

 

“Yeah,” Merlin said, looking down. He spoke again before he could get more questions. “He doesn’t want to be bothered. He said he already did all he felt he had to do.” He looked up at Leon, who gave him an encouraging nod. Some of the tension Arthur hadn’t even noticed was burdening Merlin eased off.

 

“We’ll respect his wishes, then,” Arthur said. Some of the people on the bus agreed. Merlin smiled at him thankfully. Arthur got up and asked, “Will you be here tomorrow?”

 

“Yeah,” Merlin answered. “Why?”

 

Arthur shrugged and tried to ignore the approving smirk Gawain sent him.

**~**

 

“Do you believe in magic?” Arthur asked him on the next morning.

 

Merlin raised his eyebrows. “Of course.”

 

“Of course,” Arthur repeated for some reason.

 

“You do realize there’s an actual dragon on this bus every day?”

 

“Erm,” Arthur said for lack of a better answer. “What?”

 

“Kilgharrah,” Merlin whispered conspiratorially.

 

“No great dragon, no matter how old,” the driver’s raspy voice rang through the bus again, “can lose his hearing. Do not speak ill of me, young warlock.”

 

“I wouldn’t dare,” Merlin swore.

 

“Young warlock?” Arthur asked.

 

“Merlin,” he pointed at himself. He laughed at Arthur’s confused expression. “My family’s a bit crazy about Arthurian legends. Everything started with my great-uncle over there,” he pointed to the front of the bus.

 

“Kilgharrah is your uncle?”

 

“Yeah. What?”

 

“Nothing, it’s just that… My family’s a bit crazy about everything Arthurian, too.”

 

“Oh? It’s not just you, then?”

 

“No, I have a sister… Morgana,” Arthur said sheepishly. Eira laughed. “What?”

 

“Nothing. I just… I think I work for your sister.”

 

“In the gallery?” Arthur asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Isn’t that peculiar,” Merlin said, fighting back a smile.

 

“Shut up.”

 

“What did I say?”

 

“Nothing.” Arthur could feel himself getting flustered. His stop came to his rescue.

 

**~**

 

“I did some reading,” Eira started as soon as Merlin sat down a couple of days later. The crowd seemed to embrace the newcomer (not that he was the only one. Whenever a new person started to frequent the bus they were filled in on The Dragoon Phenomenon and introduced to everyone, and it was basically the weirdest and most amazing thing that’d ever happened in Arthur’s life) and they didn’t seem to mind where he was sitting anymore. “Not only do we have a Merlin,” she pointed at him, “an Arthur and a Morgana,” Arthur was beginning to feel some regret at mentioning his sister. “But also a Lionel and a Guinevere!”

 

“Just Leon,” Leon said.

 

“And Gwen, thank you very much,” Gwen added.

 

“They’re close enough! And what if we had a Lancelot?”

 

A man coughed awkwardly. His friend eyed him for a second before laughing loudly. They were of the people who had joined them just recently.

 

“Yes, Lance,” he said through fits of laughter. “What if we had a Lancelot?”

 

“Oh, I don’t know, sir Percival,” Lance bit out, blushing. “ _What if_ we had one?” Percival choked and stopped laughing, flushing as well.

 

“Oh my god,” Eira said quietly. She looked far too happy.

 

Arthur glanced at Merlin, who was biting his lips.

 

“What?” Arthur asked.

 

“You’ve never told them what the bus is called, have you, Uncle?” Merlin raised his voice. Kilgharrah was silent for a minute.

  
”It used to be written on the side, but we never bothered after the bus got repainted a couple of years ago,” he replied finally.

 

“What’s it called?” Arthur asked wearily. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath.

 

“ _Camelot,_ ” Merlin replied. No one reacted at first.

 

“I’d say this is crazy,” Gawain spoke at last. “But what’s crazier is that you forgot one of the noblest knights of them all,” he said, pointing at himself.

 

“Gawain!” Eira shrieked. “This is not crazy. It’s destiny.”

 

Arthur just stared at Merlin.

 

Merlin stared right back.

 

**~**

 

“Still waiting for a love triangle, you know,” Gawain told Arthur once.

 

“What?”

 

“You know, Arthur and Guinevere, and then there’s Lancelot.” He motioned towards the people in question. Arthur rolled his eyes.

 

“You do realize that if we were supposed to follow the legends, you’d be my nephew,” he replied.

 

“There’s more than one version to every story,” Gawain shrugged.

 

“I’d rather cut the love triangle from this version,” Arthur said. “With all respect to wonderful Guinevere,” he added, leaning forward to catch her eye. She nodded gracefully, smiling widely afterwards.

 

“Does handsome Lance get no respect, then?” Percival asked. Lance shook his head and looked up at Arthur in time to see his wink. Gawain laughed and tapped Arthur’s shoulder before moving to sit next to Elena.

 

Arthur caught Leon entwine his fingers with Gwen’s and averted his gaze with a little private smile.

 

**~**

 

“And Merlin’s supposed to be an old guy with a beard and a staff, anyway,” Eira was saying as Arthur got in the next day.

 

“Oi, you’re still discussing legends, then?” Arthur scolded and she smiled.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Arthur shook his head and spoke no more, but he could hear her talk with Sefa. She stopped once Merlin got on the bus.

 

Merlin narrowed his eyes as everyone looked at him, contemplating.

 

“Alright, who was talking about me?” He asked.

 

“I was,” Eira said, smiling cheekily. Merlin looked back at her and smiled in return.

 

“Spill,” Merlin challenged.

 

“They were discussing the Great Merlin’s lack of beard,” Arthur answered before Eira could. “A magical staff as well, I think.”

 

“Hmm,” Merlin mused, stroking his chin, as if he’d just now noticed the lack of hair there. Arthur couldn’t help but follow the movement of his index fingers as Merlin stroked his lips, still contemplating his answer. “I get the beard. But how could you know about the staff?” He said, wriggling his eyebrows suggestively. The girls giggled. Merlin turned back and settled.

 

As he looked at Arthur with a grin, Arthur wanted to shake his head, but he found that he was still staring at Merlin’s lips. When he saw the tip of Merlin’s tongue dart out and wet them, Arthur’s gaze snapped up and there was no missing the mischievous glint in Merlin’s blue eyes.

 

“Idiot,” Arthur muttered before turning to look out of the window.

 

“Dollophead,” Merlin retorted softly and something clenched in Arthur’s chest. He bumped his knee with Merlin’s, but didn’t move away once Merlin left his leg rest against Arthur’s.

 

**~**

 

Arthur wanted to ask Merlin out.

 

He’d decided that about a month after Merlin started to ride on Camelot regularly, but he still couldn’t gather enough courage to actually say something.  The fact that they always had everyone on the bus listening in on their conversations wasn’t helping, either.

 

Morgana somehow solved this problem for him, but he would never admit it out loud.

 

“You’re meeting someone on the _bus_?” He asked.

 

“Yes, why is that a hard concept to grasp?” She asked, writing something on a little note before tucking it beneath the paperclip that held a bunch of papers together. She then looked up at Arthur, finally, and smiled at him. “Well sit, you’re allowed to, it’s your office,” she said, motioning to the chair before his desk. Arthur rolled his eyes before pulling the chair back and sitting down. “He’s always riding that line and the stop is two blocks away from my gallery, and I don’t see how that’s not convenient. So, can I sleep in your flat tonight or not?”

 

“Of course you can,” he replied, mentally scolding himself for not confirming the first time she’d asked. Morgana had more than once felt unwelcome in this family, he’d hate for her to think that her company was ever undesired. “Who is he, though?”

 

“You think you’d know him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Since when do you speak to anyone on public transport?”

 

“Since always,” Arthur frowned. It was one thing for strangers to assume things about him, but for Morgana, his own damn sister who knew him better than anyone, to think that he was too stuck up to be friendly to random  people on the bus? Was he really that big of a prat to people he wasn’t used to?

 

Morgana measured him with her gaze for a second. “Merlin Emrys.”

 

“Of course,” Arthur huffed and smiled. He remembered Merlin mentioning painting once.

 

“You know him,” Morgana said skeptically.

 

“Of course I do,” he said. His smile dropped once he noticed the glint in Morgana’s eyes.

 

“You like him,” she stated.

 

“Everyone likes him,” Arthur mumbled, suddenly unable to keep her gaze.

 

“Not answering my question.”

 

“You never really asked one,” Arthur remarked stubbornly. Morgana sighed.

 

“Alright, I’m not going to dig deeper. But just so you know, I wasn’t just going to talk business with him,” she leaned on his desk, clasping her hands together. “I wanted to introduce him to someone, as well.” Arthur’s head snapped back up and she smirked. “I think they’d be a good match,” she shrugged. “As much as I disliked Merlin the first time we met.”

 

“He’s never mentioned you,” Arthur said.

 

“Have you mentioned me?”

 

“Might have. But nothing in particular,” he defended once her eyebrow lifted dangerously. “Just that I have a sister named Morgana.”

 

“Well, I’m not surprised,” she said, leaning back. “He didn’t quite like me, either.”

 

Arthur didn’t reply. Morgana sighed and pulled the note from the paperclip, turning it around. She scribbled something on it.

 

“Make up your mind,” she said before getting up. She patted his shoulder and left his office.

 

Arthur walked behind his desk. He turned the note first, checking what she’d previously written. Apparently, there was something missing from the client’s info that he needed to retrieve first before sending the report for his boss to review. Arthur smiled to himself.

 

He flipped the note and saw an e-mail address. Merlin’s e-mail address.

 

_Make up your mind._

**~**

 

Merlin had a Facebook profile, apparently.

 

So did Gawain and nearly everyone else on the bus, and they had all liked Arthur and Dragoon’s page. How convenient.

 

Arthur thought that adding Merlin as a friend would be a little less straightforward than sending him an e-mail, as he wasn’t even supposed to have his address. Finding Merlin through the fan page seemed innocent enough.

 

Merlin thought so, too, as he accepted the friend invitation straight away and started a chat.

 

Arthur had always been awkward at online conversations that weren’t formal. He preferred that he was facing the person he was talking to.

 

When he finally got to typing out the monumental _‘will you go out with me?’_ , he let his finger hover over the _enter_ key for a good ten seconds before pressing it, burying his face in his palms just a second later. When he finally peeked out from between his fingers after a minute, there was still no answer.

 

He didn’t panic. He wouldn’t allow himself, but… What if Merlin said no? What if he was laughing right now? Oh god, what if he didn’t even swing that way?

 

“You alright?”

 

Arthur startled and looked up. Morgana was standing in his doorway, a cup of tea in her hands, and he cursed at himself for forgetting for a second she was in his flat.

 

“You don’t look too well,” she continued. “Did you ask Merlin out?”

 

“Yes,” Arthur groaned.

 

“Oh,” she said carefully. “What did he say?” She continued, pursing her lips, looking like she already knew the answer.

 

“Nothing,” Arthur replied.

 

“Nothing?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Maybe he hasn’t seen the message?”

 

“He has,” Arthur said, bitter. “He just— oh, God, he’s typing.”

 

“Keep it together, Arthur,” Morgana scolded, but Arthur could tell she was excited, as well.

 

Arthur stared at the little window.

 

_‘yes, Arthur’_

_‘fuck, of course I want to go out with you’_

 

All the air he’d been holding escaped Arthur’s lungs in a forceful breath.

 

“Arthur?” Morgana’s voice barely reached his ears.

 

‘ _thank fuck’_ was the only reply he could think of. Merlin said he had to go out and hastily left his number before going offline.

 

“Arthur.” He looked up. Morgana was looking at him expectantly.

 

“He said yes,” he said in a breath. He laughed then. He didn’t stop as he strode towards her and hugged her tightly before lifting her up. “He said yes!”

 

“Tea, tea!” She shrieked urgently. He stepped to the side carefully so she could leave her cup on one of the emptier shelves on his wall. He then pulled back to the middle of the room and spun her around, laughing again.

 

“How long have you even known him?” She asked as her feet touched the ground once again.

 

“Erm,” he mused. “A month or so?”

 

“A month or so.”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“And you’ve only seen him on the bus?”

 

“Yes, why?”

 

“I’ve never seen you so excited about anyone before.”

 

“I don’t think I’ve ever felt so excited about anyone before.” She smiled brightly and hugged him. His arms wrapped around her slim body. “It’s a bit magical,” he whispered.

 

“You’re such an idiot,” her voice trembled a little. He hugged her tighter and kissed her temple.

 

“I know.”

 

**~**

 

“Fellow knights and noble ladies,” Arthur announced as they got on the bus the next morning. “My sister, Morgana.”

 

Arthur sat down and invited her to take Merlin’s seat. She did so, looking perplexed.

 

“You really know everyone on the bus?” She asked.

 

“Yes,” Arthur confirmed.

 

“And you can stand him?” She asked at the people around.

 

“Oi!” Arthur exclaimed. “Of course they do.”

 

“It’s a chore,” Gawain said.

 

“Took some time to break him in,” Leon added. “It’s good we had Dragoon to get him to talk.”

 

“Dragoon?” Morgana asked. Arthur didn’t miss the knowing look that passed between her and Leon. Before he could ask about it, Eira moved closer and engaged Morgana in conversation.

 

When Merlin got on, Eira laughed.

 

“Sorry, Merlin, you’re standing up today.”

 

“Oh, but I don’t mind,” he replied with a smile. “My lady,” he said cheekily, taking Morgana’s hand and bringing it to his lips.

 

“You know her?” Eira asked.

 

“She might become my boss in the near future,” he replied.

 

“If you’re lucky,” Morgana said. Merlin chuckled.

 

“When am I not?”

 

“I could give you an example.”

 

“Come on now, that was one time,” Merlin said with a grin. Arthur could see the tips of his ears reddening despite his easy tone. “I wasn’t wearing my lucky pants.”

 

“If I remember correctly, you weren’t wearing pants at all.”

 

“I feel like that’s a story I’d want to hear,” Gawain said with a sly smirk.

 

“I’d rather not,” Arthur lied as he got up. He bumped into Merlin not-so-accidentally on his way to the door.

 

It didn’t bug him that Merlin hadn’t even said hello to him. Not at all.

 

He had all of his attention now, though, and that grin and those sparkly eyes were inches away from his face. Arthur had to fight to stop himself from licking Merlin’s jaw and cheered for himself inwardly as he defeated the urge.

 

“You sure about that?” Merlin asked.

 

“Completely,” Arthur confirmed. “See you tonight?”

 

Merlin blushed and Arthur almost cringed, he shouldn’t have said that after they hadn’t even set up an actual date, Merlin didn’t even have his number yet and he was probably busy tonight, and he was probably uncomfortable talking about his love life in public— but he was so _pretty_ when he was blushing— and he’d probably cut Arthur off—

 

“Tonight,” Merlin agreed with a nod. Something exploded in Arthur’s chest. He skipped off the bus before he let himself kiss Merlin’s cheek or do something else that would make Gawain laugh harder than he already was.

 

**~**

 

And so they dated.

 

At first, Arthur felt odd meeting up with Merlin in places where the ground was steady beneath their feet. It felt odd to have the freedom to say what he wanted to Merlin without risking someone (Gawain) laughing, free to hold his hand, free to kiss him. Merlin seemed to be enjoying his company, and he never let go once Arthur entwined their fingers together; he was never the first to pull away once Arthur started kissing him.

 

Still, he sometimes shied away from Arthur’s glances and Arthur was afraid he’d said the wrong thing, because in the second before he turned away Merlin always looked so inexplicably _sad_. He only held Arthur’s hand tighter, though, so Arthur allowed himself to hope he wasn’t the one to upset Merlin.

 

**~**

 

“I know that now’s probably not the right time to say it, but,” Merlin started. His legs tightened around Arthur’s hips.

 

“What is it?” Arthur asked, pushing a lock of Merlin’s fringe off his brow and letting his hand rest against the side of Merlin’s face. Merlin closed his eyes at the tender touch as Arthur’s thumb stroked his cheekbone gently. When he opened them again, there were tears threatening to roll down his temples. “Merlin,” Arthur started, but Merlin shook his head and pulled him closer, kissing him softly.

 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered against Arthur’s lips.

 

“You don’t have to apologize,” Arthur said, his chest aching a little at the thought of Merlin hurting and wanting to apologize for it.

 

“Oh, but I do,” Merlin chuckled softly. His hands moved from Arthur’s hair and neck until he was cupping Arthur’s face gently.

 

Arthur felt his lips part to let out a surprised gasp as Merlin’s eyes flashed golden. He didn’t have time to react as images flooded his mind.

 

Images of a time long passed, images of a king _brave and wonderful, but a complete dollophead as well_ (or that was at least how Merlin saw him), images of cherished lands and greedy leaders, images of brave knights and beasts and feasts and battles. Images of a face that had never been too far away whenever Arthur needed him.

 

Memories.

 

Memories of his life and his kingdom. A kingdom he’d failed.

 

Memories of his friends and comrades. The ones he’d left behind.

 

Memories of the face he’d come to love in no time. The last face he ever saw.

 

The swirling pictures faded away, leaving the face – Merlin’s face – beneath him, devastated as in the last seconds Arthur remembered him.

 

“I’ll understand if you need a minute,” Merlin said hoarsely. “I’ll understand if you want me to go. I—” his legs slid down Arthur’s as he tried to untangle them and slip away.

 

“No, Merlin,” Arthur said hastily. “No.” He stuttered, trying to find the right words that would calm Merlin.

 

His whole body felt on fire. He took a deep breath and buried his face in Merlin’s neck, hoping that would stop the world from spinning around him. He felt tears prickling in his eyes.

 

“Stay with me,” he said shakily against Merlin’s skin. Merlin sobbed and wrapped his arms around Arthur, who slumped to the side, his face still hidden in the crook of Merlin’s neck.

 

Maybe he didn’t choose the right words, given that Merlin was not exactly calm but crying, but that was alright, ‘cause Arthur was having a hard time keeping it in, as well.

 

Merlin petted Arthur’s hair and whispered, “Don’t leave me again.” Arthur looked up. “Please.”

 

“I won’t,” Arthur promised. “I won’t.”

 

They held onto each other through the night.

 

**~**

 

Arthur was worried about the comments someone (Gawain) would make once they saw both Merlin and Arthur get on from Arthur’s stop, but it turned out he didn’t have to.

 

It was very quiet in the bus, and it looked like it had been so for a while.

 

Arthur and Merlin didn’t sit down, even when the bus took off.

 

Everyone was either staring at someone else or trying really hard not to stare.

 

 _They know_ , Arthur thought.

 

“Legends are full of shite, aren’t they?” It was Gawain who finally spoke up. “They’ve got everything wrong.” Elena chuckled. Gwen joined her. Soon everyone broke out into hysterical giggles.

 

“So you all remember?” Arthur asked once the people had calmed down. Most of them confirmed.

 

“Anyone else feel like skipping work… or school?” Percival asked. He shrugged as a few people looked at him questioningly. “I feel like we have some catching up to do.”

 

“Some,” Gawain laughed. Percival met his eyes and held it for a few long seconds before the both of them looked away.

 

Arthur understood. There was too much left unsaid.

 

He looked at Leon, who had a sad, small smile on his face.

 

“You knew,” Arthur realized.

 

“I did,” Leon confirmed.

 

“But how could you?”

 

“I helped him remember,” Merlin said.

 

“Why didn’t you come to me earlier?”

 

“You weren’t ready,” Merlin replied. He probably didn’t mean just Arthur, but all of them.

 

**~**

 

Merlin asked Kilgharrah to drop those who wanted to get a day off at The Place, _“you know the one.”_

 

Turned out The Place was the lake, the same one where Merlin had sent off Arthur to sail to Avalon, where he would rest until he was ready to rise again.

 

Arthur wondered if Merlin remembered correctly and this was really the exact same lake.

 

“I couldn’t forget, even if I wanted to.”

 

Everyone was silent for a while. Then they shared what they remembered of their previous life and apologies were let out in a rush. Eira didn’t even dare look in Gawain’s eyes as she spoke to him, until he put a hand on her shoulder.

 

“I don’t hold any grudges,” he promised. “I’m smarter than that.”

 

“I sure hope so,” Percival said.

 

**~**

 

“You were Dragoon,” Gwen said suddenly. She was looking at Merlin. “I remember seeing you… before.”

 

“Yeah,” Merlin replied sheepishly.

 

“But how?” Gawain asked.

 

“Magic.”

 

**~~~**

 

“I waited for so long,” Merlin whispered in the dark. “And you never came back. So I left. And I was reborn. I guess I had to start anew, so you could, as well…”

 

Arthur kissed his shoulder, reminding Merlin he was there. Merlin lifted his hand and ruffled Arthur’s hair.

 

“And you never remembered. I always did. I couldn’t approach you…”

 

“How many years?”

 

Merlin buried his head in Arthur’s pillow. “Too many.”

 

Arthur let his lips caress Merlin’s neck as he hugged him closer. He whispered, “I’m here now. I’m here.”

 

“Yeah,” Merlin replied, his hand sliding over Arthur’s and tangling their fingers together. “You are.”

 

 

 


End file.
